Sunday, February 14, 2010

Auto electronics offer more room for error

SAN FRANCISCO  Who's really driving your car?In an ominous line from the classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey , a computer named HAL 9000 claimed it was "by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error."

Of course, HAL was "self-aware" and became more than just a little dangerous, killing four crewmates before the fifth one managed to shut it down.

Science fiction?

Sure.

But while the tiny computers tasked to manage today's vehicles aren't consciously plotting against mankind, they present manufacturers and drivers with a whole new set of potential problems that can't be solved with a wrench.

This comes on the heels of the 8 million vehicles the company previously recalled for sticky pedals and floor mats  problems that Toyota says are purely mechanical.

Still, there has been speculation, including some disturbing words from the likes of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, that software programs may in fact be a much bigger issue than Toyota is acknowledging.

Now, fresh reports have begun to surface that Toyota is facing yet another problem; this time with the electric power steering on its 2009 and 2010 Corollas, the second best-selling vehicle in the United States.

Not just Toyota

The headlines might make it appear otherwise, but growing pains brought on by newfangled technology don't begin and end with Toyota.

Earlier this month, Ford Motor Co. announced a thinly veiled recall of its own by issuing what it called a "customer satisfaction program" to the 17,600 owners of its Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids. Like Toyota, the fix involves updating the program to ensure the cars' brakes respond in real time.

So when does it end? Not anytime soon, according to Edmunds.com Chief Executive Jeremy Anwyl, who urged competitors not to feel too smug about Toyota problems: "As these vehicles grow in technical complexity, we'll see more and more mysterious situations that are very hard to diagnose."